Nick Cannon Leaving ‘America’s Got Talent’ After Racial Joke Fallout

Nick Cannon announced on Monday that he will leave NBC and vacating his role as host of America’s Got Talent. In a Facebook post, Cannon said he was “threatened with termination” by NBC executives over a racially charged joke he made during a Showtime special he hosted. “I will not be punished for a joke,” Cannon wrote. “I find myself in a dark place having to make a decision that I wish I didn’t have to, but as a man, an artist, and a voice for my community I will not be silenced, controlled or treated like a piece of property. There is no amount of money worth my dignity or my integrity.” The show is entering its 12th season; Cannon has hosted the last eight. According to TMZ, the offending remark was that Cannon said NBC was trying to make him lose his “black card.”